So just what sort of altered state were you in when you listened to that Surgeon LP? Because it's either that or you're punking us. C'mon....you're #1 for the year (or anyone else's for that matter. Especially within the context of the rest of your list, which has a few of my 20111 faves in it)?! I gave it a listen (all the way through) and it just doesn't go anywhere. Come clean, man.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Originally Posted by GeezrRckr

So just what sort of altered state were you in when you listened to that Surgeon LP? Because it's either that or you're punking us. C'mon....you're #1 for the year (or anyone else's for that matter. Especially within the context of the rest of your list, which has a few of my 20111 faves in it)?! I gave it a listen (all the way through) and it just doesn't go anywhere. Come clean, man.

I was completely sober, and being completely honest. It's not the in your face, untzy stuff that all the kids eat up. And to be honest I find the "it doesn't go anywhere" response to anything minimal to be an extremely banal and juvenile take on things at this point.

It's like when that JamesMills guy said that he doesn't like Deerhunter because their songs don't have any crescendos. Why does everything have to follow the same format?

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

It pisses me off when people say they don't like music for simple reasons. Like when somebody says something is derivative, or, in this case, doesn't go anywhere. I feel like it's a really lame and invalid complaint, especially when you guys are eating up shit like Bon Iver and Plastikman, who I think you can make the same "doesn't go anywhere" complaints about. Not to say those 2 artist aren't totally rad, because they are. But whatever.

That Surgeon album is great, but I wouldn't say the best I've heard all year, or even top 10.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Originally Posted by ZachTheEskimo

It pisses me off when people say they don't like music for simple reasons. Like when somebody says something is derivative, or, in this case, doesn't go anywhere. I feel like it's a really lame and invalid complaint, especially when you guys are eating up shit like Bon Iver and Plastikman, who I think you can make the same "doesn't go anywhere" complaints about. Not to say those 2 artist aren't totally rad, because they are. But whatever.

people shouldn't say something because you think its lame and invalid because other people like things that you think are rad but might be kind of like that aforementioned thing so whatever?

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

I don't know, I agree that saying a techno album "doesn't go anywhere" as a form of dismissive criticism is kind of an easy out. Where exactly do the best techno albums go? Art Department's The Drawing Board will probably end up as one of my favorite albums of the year precisely because it does such a good job of toeing that line of anticipation.

I will say that the industrial undertones Surgeon is working with sound a bit forced.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

First of all...the Surgeon album is much more minimal than techno and, since it was purported to be techno by someone in this thread, my expectation was such. And, if when I say "doesn't go anywhere," it's just another way of me saying it's fucking repetitive and boring (imo). There, is that more your cranky likings?

Chris...have you listened to Tim Hecker's Ravedeath 1972 yet? Now that is some minimal (ambient) I can get behind.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Personally I think a lot of people's best of picks "go nowhere". I still don't see the reason for the James Blake phenomenon, but obviously people are hearing things I'm not. Personally I find the Surgeon LP to be dark & impacting, and it's the only album I cherry picked off people's recommendations over the past few days that I've repeatedly listened to.
Trying Tim Hecker's album but I have not yet been in the mood for wall to wall ambient to evaluate it yet.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Originally Posted by GeezrRckr

First of all...the Surgeon album is much more minimal than techno and, since it was purported to be techno by someone in this thread, my expectation was such. And, if when I say "doesn't go anywhere," it's just another way of me saying it's fucking repetitive and boring (imo). There, is that more your cranky likings?

Chris...have you listened to Tim Hecker's Ravedeath 1972 yet? Now that is some minimal (ambient) I can get behind.

Of course I like that more, because it's more direct and honest and not veiled in Pitchfork review speak.

Chris, after listening to this Surgeon album twice, and reading your comment about how it's not "the untz untz the kids go for," I'm wondering if this is an album that has introduced you to a new electronic sound/genre you haven't explored yet...and maybe that's why you were so blown away by it?

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Originally Posted by guedita

Of course I like that more, because it's more direct and honest and not veiled in Pitchfork review speak.

Chris, after listening to this Surgeon album twice, and reading your comment about how it's not "the untz untz the kids go for," I'm wondering if this is an album that has introduced you to a new electronic sound/genre you haven't explored yet...and maybe that's why you were so blown away by it?

"It doesn't go anywhere" is a valid criticism. I don't know how that's veiled, it's pretty direct and not flowery.

I was wondering the same thing about your second point, even though I haven't listened to the full album yet. It seemed like he jumped on that really, really quick and while the track I heard was good, it also was somewhat familiar. Even if that is the case, everyone has to start somewhere.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Are you guys asking if this is the first time I've listening to anything somewhat minimal? No, not at all.

I'm not the expert that someone like Forza might be, but I saw someone comment on facebook about Richie Hawtin's Essential Mix saying that "it doesn't go anywhere", and someone else said "dude, it's not Boys Noize" so I was just kind of making that same point. That people who are used to the big bouncy in your face kind of electronic music might have a hard time latching onto something more spare.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

What I find most interesting is that actually putting forth the effort to find the album, download it, confirm it was legit and then listen to it (in total...not a track here an there, fyi) and then ponder just what the fuck it was that grabbed the guy....is being lazy. As Patrick has already stated...context is everything.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Chris, i'm frankly surprised how much you love the Surgeon album considering a lot of comments you made last year that were pretty much saying, "i don't understand how people can rank albums that don't have full bands of people playing actual live instruments so high" in response to the number of people that really fell in love with the Emeralds album and the like. I guess it just says a lot about how much your taste is changing.

I gave the Surgeon album a spin and it really took a while for anything on it to hit me. It's a bit too repetitive and meandering for my taste, but there are some definite high-points on it. I'll definitely be giving it some more spins.

Re: So It's Halfway Through 2011

Originally Posted by Drinkey McDrinkerstein

Chris, i'm frankly surprised how much you love the Surgeon album considering a lot of comments you made last year that were pretty much saying, "i don't understand how people can rank albums that don't have full bands of people playing actual live instruments so high" in response to the number of people that really fell in love with the Emeralds album and the like. I guess it just says a lot about how much your taste is changing.

Yeah, over the course of the past year I've gotten much better at being able to sort out what I like based on the album itself and letting genre lines just blur and boiling it down to which album I like better overall.